# Do Gyms hire heavier people?



## PhantomGoddess (Dec 3, 2007)

**Mods, If I have placed this in the wrong forum, I apologize and please move it to the correct forum**

As some of you may know, I am about to graduate, so I am looking for a job in my hometown. A new Bailey's Gym just opened up around the corner from my house and it looks like they are hiring. I want to apply, but I have a few reservations.

Do gyms hire people that are perfectly fit? I am very tall for a woman, 5'11, and I wear a size 16. The job I want to apply for isn't that of trainer or instructor, but of fitness consultant. Here is the description of the job:



Job Name: Fitness Consultant

Job Location(s): Brunswick | Beaches | Merrill Road | Orange Park | St. Johns Bluff | Gainesville | Atlantic Beach | Baymeadows | Mandarin | Northside | San Jose | Westside |

*Description:* Job duties and responsibities include, but are not limited to, meeting and greeting all members and guests, providing outstanding customer service, generating new membership sales along with related paperwork, and providing member retention services.

What do you guys think?


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## emily_3383 (Dec 3, 2007)

The receptionist ive seen are sometimes alittle heavy but I havent gone to the gym long enough to notice. lol

good luck anyway!


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## PhantomGoddess (Dec 3, 2007)

Normally I wouldn't be questioning this, but to me gyms = fit people, and I didn't know if hiring someone bigger would mess up the image they are trying to promote.

Thank you!


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## Aquilah (Dec 3, 2007)

For me, I think it's more about the "image" the gym wants to put out as well as how much knowledge you have. It almost might be comforting to plus-sized members to see someone "like them."

Also, IMHO, there's a difference in plus-sized. Why? Because there are natural plus-sized people, people who have medical conditions to cause the excess weight, and then people who just don't care (or seemingly don't care).

So, I say, apply for the job. You never really know. If it's mostly desk work, then they might not look at your size as much. Besides, even if you're plus-size, it doesn't mean you're not fit or eat right, or have other healthy habits. Apply for the job Share!


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## PhantomGoddess (Dec 3, 2007)

Originally Posted by *Aquilah* /img/forum/go_quote.gif For me, I think it's more about the "image" the gym wants to put out as well as how much knowledge you have. It almost might be comforting to plus-sized members to see someone "like them." 
Also, IMHO, there's a difference in plus-sized. Why? Because there are natural plus-sized people, people who have medical conditions to cause the excess weight, and then people who just don't care (or seemingly don't care).

So, I say, apply for the job. You never really know. If it's mostly desk work, then they might not look at your size as much. Besides, even if you're plus-size, it doesn't mean you're not fit or eat right, or have other healthy habits. Apply for the job Share!

I thought about the comfort factor, and I plan on calling them later today to ask some questions. 
Thanks for answering!


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## KellyB (Dec 3, 2007)

I'd rather see a 5'11 woman in a size 16 than a size 2. I say go for it and Good luck. Hey, I'm 30 minutes south of Jax in St. Aug. We may have to meet one day.


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## puncturedskirt (Dec 3, 2007)

If it's for a desk job i don't see why not? Apply.


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## -Liz- (Dec 3, 2007)

Absolutly, i did the same thing, and im sure youll be great at it. As long as you show your great personality, it will work out, so apply!


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## magosienne (Dec 3, 2007)

absolutely, just apply.


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## love2482 (Dec 3, 2007)

Hmm.... honestly I don't think that they would. But it never hurts to try.


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## saintcloudgirl (Dec 3, 2007)

Try it. You can't know until you try, right?


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## PhantomGoddess (Dec 3, 2007)

Originally Posted by *KellyB* /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'd rather see a 5'11 woman in a size 16 than a size 2. I say go for it and Good luck. Hey, I'm 30 minutes south of Jax in St. Aug. We may have to meet one day. Thank you! I actually hope to go to St. Aug soon for the outlets. Maybe I'll run into you!


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## pinksugar (Dec 3, 2007)

well I work at a gym and while I have worked with heavier people, for the most part, people are thinner. Look at it from this point of view. If you were a new customer, would you really want to join a gym which isn't working even for a receptionist, who is probably getting the service for free?

There is no harm in applying however, they may, as Aquliah suggested, not mind having heavier people as this will comfort larger members?

Anyway, in oz (not sure if the sizes are the same) 16 is not huge at all, especially at 5'11"


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## SimplyElegant (Dec 3, 2007)

They might. It depends on who's interviewing you really. They might think image is more important.

At the gym I used to go to, there was one heavier girl but she wasn't that overweight. At the same gym, there was an overweight instructor but she was still in amazing shape anyway. So it just depends.


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## PhantomGoddess (Dec 4, 2007)

Originally Posted by *pinksugar* /img/forum/go_quote.gif well I work at a gym and while I have worked with heavier people, for the most part, people are thinner. Look at it from this point of view. If you were a new customer, would you really want to join a gym which isn't working even for a receptionist, who is probably getting the service for free?
There is no harm in applying however, they may, as Aquliah suggested, not mind having heavier people as this will comfort larger members?

Anyway, in oz (not sure if the sizes are the same) 16 is not huge at all, especially at 5'11"

One of the reasons I want to work at a gym, is so that I can get into better shape.


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## Marisol (Dec 4, 2007)

I say go for it.


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## bella1342 (Dec 4, 2007)

I agree with Marisol... go for it! For 5'11 a size 16 is hardly heavy in my opinion.


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## PhantomGoddess (Dec 5, 2007)

Originally Posted by *bella1342* /img/forum/go_quote.gif I agree with Marisol... go for it! For 5'11 a size 16 is hardly heavy in my opinion. Thanks! Sometimes I feel huge though!


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## pretty_pink13 (Dec 7, 2007)

The gym I go to has a lot of heavier girls working at the desk, and I don't mean proportionate like you are for your height and size, I mean way bigger and shorter girls, I am not trying to offend anyone but they are the ones who look like they need to be working there...to lose weight...I would definatley apply!!


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## Maysie (Dec 7, 2007)

I think you should apply! You don't sound that big to me! And anyway I'm sure the job is more about your energy and how you can draw people in and make them want to come to the gym. Thats what I notice most about employees at my gym...if they say hi and smile at me and are willing to answer any questions I might have, I appreciate it and it makes me like coming even more.


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## christinag82 (Dec 11, 2007)

Go for it!


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## NYchic (Dec 11, 2007)

I am looking for a job currently as well. A lot of the job ads I see placed for gyms are must be fit and into physical fitness. I would think they would want fit people to represent the gym. It's all about the image. Just like they want you to look professional and clean, you have to look the part as someone who works in a gym since they get free membership as well. I worked at a hair salon and they also wanted you to look good, your hair, make-up because it was a hair salon. You had to look good, if your hair was horrible, would clients want to get their hair done there? No and plus employees always get the services for free, so clients will want to the employees to project what the business is all about. Image is very important in customer service jobs.


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## colormeup (Dec 11, 2007)

Don't get me started on gyms. Wanna piss me off, start talking about gyms. I don't like Balleys business practices, but at least they don't discriminate. I can never understand why women get so indignate about equality and then going a gym that discriminates against men. Sorry you were born wrong, you can't join our gym. How that is legal is beyond me. Of course charging women less for drinks at a bar is legal. I'll save this all for another rant.

As far as having to hire perfectly fit people. I believe they can't discriminate against anyone. But it happens all the time. Fact is, even if you were hired and they didn't want you. They'd find a reason to get rid of you. I won't go into detail but one place told me they would not hire me because I was not female or minority. At the end of the interview I was told, "just to let you know we are looking for diversity in the work place." I was sent a denial via e-mail less than a day later. This was from a major health insurance company!

Yeah it pissed me off. Could I have sued? Yeah. Should I have filed with the EEOC? Probably. But I decided it wasn't worth my time and effort ( proabably what they wanted ) But more importantly they were the real losers. I have stong worth ethics and high standards I set myself. I could have been a valuable asset to their organization, yet they chose to discard me. I took on this additude from a black person I knew who was super professional, and he had some amazing stories to tell. yeah, he was discriminated against and faced obsticals, but never let it get him down and has become very very successful.

It can be difficult but keep your chin up and move on. In the long term of your career this job is nothing.


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